Course Description Manual

Transcription

1 Course Description Manual Revised May, 2018 for Creating and Publishing Course Descriptions or Course Outlines. Adapted from chapter 6 of MarkBook s Reference Manual. by Rob Hedges

2 6-8 CREATING A COURSE DESCRIPTION / TIME MANAGEMENT PLAN Prior to commencing a course of study, many teachers publish a Course Description document and make it available to learners, parents and administrators. The intent of this course description is to provide a clear description of the intended course, perhaps a potential sequence/timeline, and a brief statement of policies associated with the course. If a teacher has one or more Unit Plans (MUPs) built for the course, MarkBook s Course Description function is easier to use it will import the titles, descriptions and starting dates from each Unit Plan. However, MarkBook s Course Description will still work if there are no preexisting MUP Unit Plans. Use it to a) build descriptions for as many courses as desired, b) save each as a file (MarkBook Course Description -.MCD), and c) export these files to other teachers for their use. Prior to using this MarkBook tool for the first time, have a look at the sample printouts and HTML in section Launching MarkBook s Course Description Planner Open any class in MarkBook. Click Tools in the upper menu bar (see section 3-1) and select MarkBook Course Description. You ll get the following General Information screen. To exit, click the red X in the upper right corner.

3 There are two cells in the Location box at the upper left. The name of the school will auto-import from MarkBook s Class Description screen, section 1-4. Or, click in the School cell and type a school name. Type in the name of the District / Board or Department. Saving Your Course Description As soon as convenient, click File in the upper menu bar and select Save As. Browse to a known location where you can safely store your new Course Description document as a file. In this example, the user has given the new file a name and selected MarkBook s Curriculum folder as the storage location..mcd is the file extension for these documents.

4 Optional Terms box Text appearing in the cells of this box will print as titles on the final course description documents. By default, MarkBook supplies text in each cell. Click in any cell and edit as desired. Note that edits made will alter the blue terms appearing in the Heading box at the right. Dates for each unit may be added as described later in this section. Heading box Enter a Title for the course. If desired, include the academic year as per the following example. Enter a course Code and any Prerequisite course (~15 characters are permitted in each cell). The Grade cell allows up to 5 characters. Select a term from the Level drop-down menu or type your own Level descriptor. Assign a Credit Value. Type a description for the course in the Overview/Summary box. Note the two buttons enabling a user to import a paragraph from an external.txt file. Similarly, MarkBook will save new text as a.txt file. It s also possible to Copy/Paste (Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V) text from another open document directly into this Overview/Summary cell. Note that the cell will turn red if too much text is entered or pasted into the cell. A spell checker operates on this cell. Once the Heading box is complete, click the right arrow. If the file has already been saved as described above, this action will automatically save any additional text entered on this screen. It s possible to return to this screen at any time and make edits to any item. Clicking the right arrow opens the Detail screen:

5 Units box In the Units box at the left, build a summary Description for each unit, preferably in the order being taught, and assign potential Dates. Dates are optional leave the cell blank if desired. Note the Import from MUP button. If there are pre-existing MUPs (see section 6-3), click the button, browse to an appropriate MUP, and open it. MarkBook will import three items from the selected MUP: its Title, its first lesson starting date (if dates were assigned), and the Description of the unit. If no MUP exists for this unit, manually type in the unit title, optional dates (time management), and a description similar to the following.

6 Once a unit description is complete, use the numeric drop-down menu to select and edit each succeeding unit. Up to 10 units are allowed. Unused units will show in the Section Titles list as ~~~ Available ~~~ Tip: include any Exam or Culminating Activity time block as a Unit.

7 Adding / Deleting / Re-sequencing Curriculum Units Note the three buttons to the right of the Titles window. To delete a unit highlight it in the Titles window and click the Delete button. To insert a new unit, highlight the position in the unit sequence where you d like to add it, and click the Insert button. To Move an existing unit up or down in the sequence, highlight that unit and click the Move Title #X button. A dialogue box will appear as above. Type in the new position for the unit and click OK. Trick: teachers frequently elect to deliver a course in a different unit order from the last time it was taught. Import an.mcd file and use this Move button to quickly alter the sequence of units. Don t forget to adjust the proposed Dates to match!

8 Policies / Resources box Up to ten statements of policy may be entered here and then published with the Course Description. Use the numeric menu to select a new blank one. Some examples follow. Other examples could include policies or notices about uniforms, field trips, fees, or any other item that should be communicated to parents and students prior to instruction. You may copy any of the policies on this page for your own use.

9 Note that a spell checker operates on the Description cell. If the entered text exceeds the size allocated by MarkBook for printing, the background turns brown. To edit any Section, click on its title in the Titles box or select its number from the drop-down menu. As described in the Units box above, the Move, Insert and Delete buttons facilitate editing. Using the left arrow will return to the General Information screen AND automatically save the accumulated entries made on this screen. Sharing, Posting and Publishing Course Descriptions MCD files may be shared with other teachers. Recipients may edit the file to customize it to their own classroom(s). Attach an MCD file to an , save it on a shared network or post on the web to make it available to others. The receiving teacher must have MarkBook to open/edit it. For students and parents, print and/or post HTML copies. See the samples in section 6-11.

10 6-11 PUBLISHING AND MANAGING COURSE DESCRIPTIONS Course descriptions may be built as described in section 6-8. This section describes publishing and it includes a paper print sample and an HTML sample. To print a Course Description, open the saved.mcd file with MarkBook s Course Description tool, or build an.mcd as in section 6-8. Once the.mcd file is open, click Publish in the upper menu bar and select Print Course Description. Choose among the options and then click Print. See the sample on the next page. To publish as HTML, choose the Course Description in HTML option as above. Select among the options and click the Save HTML button. MarkBook will prompt for a save location and then ask if you wish to view the file. Click Yes to get a print preview. If acceptable, post the file on the appropriate website. A partial sample is provided on the page after next.

11 Course Outline The Best School Music Department Introduction to Guitar - 10/11 (GUI20) Grade: 10 Level: Academic Prerequisite: None Credit Value: 1.0 Summary This course enables students to understand the musical theory, history and principles of playing a six-string guitar. Students will have the opportunity to play a guitar as individuals and within a group. Various methods of sound recording will be examined and learners will have the opportunity to compose and record their own repertoire. This course matches the standards of the Department of Education's curriculum document for GUI20. Units Theory and Technology Feb 1 to Feb 26 Upon completion, students will be able to define or explain the elements of music (rhythm, melody, timbre, dynamics, harmony, texture and form). Learners will be able to read simple musical notation and explain the use of various types of sound recording technology. Blues and Chord Structure March 1 to April 2 Play technical exercise and diverse repertoire that reflect the theory expectations at this grade level (Including improvisation and their own creations when appropriate.) Fingerstyle Guitar and Western Scales April 5 - May 7 Aural discrimination skills to identify complex aspects of music (e.g. major and minor triads, diminished and augmented intervals Rock Music - Composition and Recording May 10 - June 11 Demonstrate the effective use of digital technology in music; apply the elements of and principles of composition at an intermediate level using the creative process (e.g. perception, production and reflection) Exam / Culminating Activity June For the Culminating Activity, each student will be required to perform a guitar melody pre-approved by the teacher. The Exam will be 90 minutes covering the music principles delivered in the four course curriculum units. Policies / Resources Accommodations for Exceptionalities Every effort will be made to accommodate the identified needs of exceptional students including differentiated curriculum delivery methods and assessment strategies. Varying modes of student expression, as identified in each student's Individual Education Plan (IEP), will be addressed. Teaching Strategies Units are activity based. Teacher demonstrations and research activities provide the students with the necessary terminology and methodology to complete the activities. Classroom discussions, collaborative and co-operative learning, research, report writing and taking notes will assist students in meeting the course expectations. Resources / Text Books / Technological Integration Texts: ''Strummin 'N Stompin'' by W. Nelson ''Six Strings Made Easy'' by S. Twain Classroom Management No food, beverages, incendiary items like tobacco, jackets, cell phones, pagers, ipods or devices providing radio interference are allowed inside the classroom or studio. Plagiarism / Integrity Personal as well as academic integrity is an expectation at this school. Plagiarism (copying another's work as if it was your own), cheating, using unauthorized aids, theft (including electronic theft) and lying are not tolerated. Failure to maintain integrity may result in the loss of credits and/or the imposition of other penalties. Assessment and Evaluation Policy TERM: Knowledge and Understanding (15%); Thinking (20%); Communication (10%); Application (25%). Note: percentages are approximate. FINAL: Term (70%); Culminating Activity (15%); Final Exam (15%) EVALUATION: based on assessments and other observations of each learner, the teacher will make a professional judgment as to the final mark assigned to each student. MarkBook - Course Outline, Asylum Software ( - Printed: Jan Page: 1

12 Printout Course Description as HTML